Children’s Rights
The Government Is Taking Babies Away Because Their Moms Ate Poppy Seeds
Unreliable drug tests are sparking unnecessary child welfare investigations.
British TV Star in Trouble With Child Services After Letting a 15-Year-Old Take a Trip
Kirstie Allsopp posted online about her teen son's trip around Europe. Then someone reported her to the government.
Illinois Falsely Accused These Parents of Abusing Their Baby—and Now Won't Tell Them Who Actually Did It
"I never thought that this was even humanly possible," says Sabra Brucker.
Cops Threaten To Take Kids From Family Terrorized by Anti-Christian Reddit Group
Online trolls weaponized child protective services against J.D. and Britney Lott and their eight children.
Cops Called on 8-Year-Old Child for Being Outside
"Can a child not ride her bike on the street in this neighborhood anymore?"
The Best of Reason: Child Welfare Systems Are Trapping Innocent Families
Georgia parents were accused of child abuse after they took their daughter to the doctor. Does the state's story add up?
Child Welfare Systems Are Trapping Innocent Families
Georgia parents were accused of child abuse after they took their daughter to the doctor. Does the state's story add up?
'Independence Therapy' Could Revolutionize Treatment for Child Anxiety
A pilot study encouraged parents to let their kids go free-range.
Government Warns That Playground Equipment Gets Hot
Thanks for the heads up, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Maryland Elementary School Tries To Force Students To Say The Pledge
Students have a constitutional right to refuse to say the Pledge of Allegiance, no matter what school officials think.
Elementary Schools Ban Tag, Football, and Fun During Recess
"It really feels as though maybe we've lost touch with what's developmentally appropriate," says one Montgomery County mom.
How Free-Range Kids Became an Answer on Jeopardy!
It took a lot of work to clear this quiz show milestone.
Coddled Kids Become Depressed, Anti-Social College Students
Young people need independent play in order to become capable adults.
Florida Appellate Court Disqualifies Judge in Gender-Transition Child Removal Case
Did the judge's remarks "suggest[] she had predetermined that the father had no right to oppose gender transition or otherwise direct the child's upbringing based upon his moral and religious beliefs"?
Parents Investigated for Letting 7-Year-Old Get a Cookie From the Store
"You just can't raise kids like that anymore—it isn't safe," the cops told the Widner family.
DeSantis Vetoed a Social Media Age-Verification Law, but That Doesn't Mean He Won't Sign a New One
A law forcing kids off social media sites is still likely coming to Florida.
Iowa Court Clears Mom of Endangerment Charges After She Let Kids Babysit
"No parent can shield a child from all risks," the Iowa Supreme Court ruled.
Mississippi Police Arrested a 10-Year-Old for Peeing Behind His Mom's Car. Now, the Family Is Suing
Third-grader Quantavious Eason was arrested and charged as a "child in need of services" after being caught peeing behind his mother's car.
States Try To Strip Sex From Literature in Libraries, Schools
These aren't outright bans. But they still can chill free speech and academic freedom.
School's Referring to Student by Student-Preferred Name and Pronouns Likely Doesn't Violate …
the parent's constitutional parental rights, including when the school conceals this from the parent.
NYC Child Protection Agency Uses 'Coercive Tactics' To Bully Parents Into Allowing Warrantless Searches
According to a new lawsuit, NYC's child protection agency almost never obtained warrants when it searched over 50,000 family homes during abuse and neglect investigations.
Are Parents Too Involved in Their Adult Children's Lives?
A recent Pew survey says parents are "very involved in their young adult children's lives," but one might quibble with the definition of "very involved."
They Had Their Baby At Home. 2 Years Later, They Still Can't Get a Birth Certificate.
Teresa and Jeff Williams had their son, JJ, at home without medical help. They didn't know it would be nearly impossible to get legal documents for him.
Kids Have First Amendment Rights Too, Federal Judge Reminds State Lawmakers
Banning people under age 16 from accessing social media without parental consent "is a breathtakingly blunt instrument" for reducing potential harms, the judge writes.
Even Canada Thinks the Nanny State Has Gone Too Far on Outlawing Fun
A new white paper from the Canadian Pediatric Society recommends more unstructured play time for kids.
Review: Exposing a Broken Juvenile Court System
Kids were jailed for minor offenses, as detailed in The Kids of Rutherford County podcast.
Family Court Ordered Grandmother, Who Had Custody of Child, Not to Testify Against Father at His Parole Hearing
The N.H. Supreme Court reversed the order.
Want to Use Social Media? Utah Wants You to Hand Over Your ID.
A new lawsuit is challenging a Utah law that requires age verification to use social media and forces minors to get their parents permission first.
Toronto Bans Tobogganing on 45 Hills, Puts Up Warning Signs
"The fear of liability is ruining modern childhood," says one mom.
May Court Suspend Father's Supervised Parenting Time Until Father Gives Password to Thumb Drives That Might (or Might Not) Contain Child Pornography?
The father had an earlier history of sexually assaulting children.
10 Stories That Drove Free-Range Parents Crazy in 2023
And some good news, after all.
10-Year-Old Kid Offered Probation for Peeing Behind His Mom's Car
His mom is rejecting the prosecutors' absurdly strict probation rules.
Millions of Kids Left Classrooms During the Pandemic. New Data Show 50,000 Hadn't Returned 2 Years Later.
According to an analysis from the Associated Press, 50,000 children in 22 states were still missing from schools in fall 2022.
A Tennessee Youth Detention Center Has Been Illegally Throwing Kids in Solitary Confinement
An investigation from ProPublica shows that one Knoxville-area facility is putting kids in solitary but skirting scrutiny by classifying the seclusion as "voluntary."
Take Care of Maya Verdict Could Help Mom Who Lost Kids After False Diagnosis
"People understand that these child abuse pediatricians have unlimited power," says Aaron Rapier, an attorney for the Kruegers.
Kids at Oklahoma Football Games Must Sit With Their Parents
Students in four Oklahoma school districts are also required to wear their school ID on a lanyard and sit on their own team's side.
Illinois Youth Lockup Is 'No Place for Children,' According to ACLU Lawsuit
Children held in the Franklin County Juvenile Detention Center are routinely subjected to solitary confinement, inadequate meals, and filthy cells, according to legal documents.
New Jersey Secretly Stores Your Newborn's Blood for Decades
According to a new lawsuit, New Jersey has handed over leftover blood from newborn genetic testing to law enforcement and sold it to third parties.
Just 15 Percent of Parents With Preteens Would Let Them Trick-or-Treat Alone
A new study shows the pervasiveness of helicopter parenting.
Teenage Trick-Or-Treaters Are Too Scary For These Cities
Across the country, ghoulish cities have outlawed teenage trick-or-treaters.
Overcrowding Causes 'Unsafe and Unsanitary' Conditions for Youth In Philadelphia Jail
According to legal documents, children have been forced to sleep on the floor of offices and gymnasiums, with limited access to bathrooms and showers.
Louisiana Mother of Autistic Child Hit by Teacher Files Supreme Court Petition
School officials in three states are effectively immune from lawsuits over excessive corporal punishment. A Louisiana mother is asking the Supreme Court to step in.
Meth-Laced Halloween Candy Is a Very Unlikely Danger for Kids
These kinds of poisonings are rare to nonexistent.